Meandering Paths
by BC-Butch Cassidy-BC
Summary: All is well at the Tendo Dojo. Resent time have meant great personal discovery for Ranma and Akane after finally putting their differences behind them. But an unexpected event is about to shatter the calm at the Tendo Dojo.


**RANMA ½   
MEANDERING PATHS**

  
  
**Disclaimer** – Ranma ½ in the west is the property of Viz Comics and Viz Video and not mine. Original Characters by Rumiko Takahashi. The story is the property of Butchs Fan Fiction forum (www.butchsforum.co.uk). For any use of this story please email Butch Cassidy at butchsvideostoptiscali.co.uk. 

… 

The day was hot, too hot for Ranma. Standing in the gym he was airing himself with a small wooden fan. He had felt great just a few minutes before, but then his father had decided to join him, he was dripping with steaming water, Ranma guessed he had just returned to human form. The plain wooden Gym had seen better days, but the damage was also a sign of good use and that couldn't be all bad. 

"So Pap, what do you want" Ranma asked his father, flicking his small ponytail back in the air. It had stuck to his back in the heat. Ranma didn't really get on with his father any more, Genma seemed to go cold to him as soon as he discovered that Ranma was stronger than him, but he had to thank him for one stupid decision he made. But he was not in the mood for his father messing around with him, as he felt great, until Genma entered anyway. 

"Akane told me you were challenged today, did you win, or dishonour yourself" Genma asked Ranma, with an almost acidic touch to his voice. Ranma flinched at his father's suggestion. He felt sickened by it, he was more than capable of dealing with anyone who tried to fight him. He turned to face his father face to face,   
"It was a kid, a silly child who thought they could up me," Ranma told his father angrily "And I don't like what you suggest, Old man". Genma seemed shocked by his son's outburst, He sighed and looked angrily at him.   
"I'm still your master boy. Don't speak to me in that tone or I'll make you remember who taught you all you know" Preparing himself for the eventual battle with his son, Genma shifted into a battle stance. 

Ranma almost looked amused by his father's comments. He lifted one eyebrow and smiled,   
"You didn't teach me nothing" Ranma informed his father "And you aren't no match for me either, fight me and I wont go easy on you pap". When Genma didn't stand down Ranma joined him preparing to attack his father in a one on one duel. The room went quite as the two martial artists faced each other over the wooden floor; a gust of wind cooled them before the first move started the fight. 

Genma jumped into the air, without making a sound and prepared to attack his son with an aerial kick. Ranma laughed as he saw his father trying to play fight with him. He contemplated the simplest and most embarrassing way for his father to be defeated at his hands. His formulation was cut short, as he was hit painfully in the head. Genma still in mid-air fell gracefully to the ground with a small thud. 

Ranma groaned as he lifted himself off the ground. He knew that that wasn't an attack from his father. He didn't have the power to lay such an attack into him and without him seeing it; someone must have hit him from behind.   
"RANMA!" The female voice from behind him yelled angrily. He felt himself freeze at the sound of it. Slowly turning his head off the ground he started to get the visual he was looking for. He already knew who it was but didn't want to believe it, it was dangerous when 'she' was angry and she seemed Pissed. 

Genma looked on in delight, watching his son getting beaten up by a girl, a girl he was engaged to marry none the less. The moment was priceless. As Ranma finished turning his head his fears were confirmed, it was her and she was pissed. Akane was pissed and at him. 

'What I do now!" Ranma asked her loudly wanting to know what had warranted the attack with a large stick. Akane looked down at him angrily and ignored his pleas for reason. Genma decided that this was the time to make a quick exit, he like Ranma knew of Akane's violent tendencies and once she had finished with Ranma she might move onto him. Turning his back on his son he started to walk out of the room, the suns light falling on his face as he left the training hall.   
"Well finish this later boy, and that will be the time you will regret your words of disrespect to me". At his fathers words Ranma felt sickened to the bone. Attacked by Akane and now his father was running out on their fight. He yelled out,   
"Coward, come back here and lose like the man you claim to be!" 

Akane grabbed Ranma by the scruff of the neck and looked closely into his face.   
"I think your in enough trouble at the moment without wanting to fight us both" Akane yelled at Ranma even though she was only a few inches from his face "Mr Saotome go! And let Ranma and I have a little talk". Genma didn't blink before quickly exiting the training hall, closing the door harshly behind him and leaving Ranma to his fate. 

In the hall all was silent again, only the sound of breathing and a slight wind in the hot afternoon. A second later Akane dropped to the ground beside Ranma. Ranma also let out a sigh of relief. She brushed her hair out of her eyes and laughed with a smile. Ranma shock his head while feeling the painful bump on the top of his head. He turned to face Akane.   
"You know you don't have to be that convincing" Ranma told her, jokingly. Akane turned to him and laughed.   
"Well I was born to be an actress! That means being convincing is my Job" Akane answered him smartly, she felt a great sense of achievement at her successful role. Mr Saotome thought that she was really going to kill Ranma or something close to it. 

"So Akane how long is it going to be that we'll do this, you know its only a matter of time until someone works out what is going on" Ranma told her gravely. It had been a few months now since Ranma and her had put their differences behind them and realized how much they had in common. It laid the start of their future, although they still acted that they hated each other as much as they always had Ranma and Akane had discovered something, how much they cared for each other. Now they were living, hiding but still loving each other in a form of forbidden love until it was decided to go public and unveil their relationship. 

Akane lied down on the hard wooden floor and rolled onto her back. Looking up at the high roof, the roof she had known since she was a little girl she felt happy.   
"I don't know. I just don't want people to know yet, not until we're ready for that" Akane told him sadly "Anyway can you imagine what would happen with, Kuno, Shampoo, Okyo if they found out, they'd go mad and we'd have challenges coming from us from all directions". 

As much as Ranma wanted to argue with her he knew she was right, if they did go public then there would be a lot of angry people, people wanting to get a slice and revenge against them both. They both let out a quiet sigh, knowing what would come, eventually. They were both enjoying the quiet and the sun when they heard footsteps outside the door of the training hall. 

As if on reflex they both jumped to their feet and faced each other off, fighting stances ready. They needed to look as if they were ready to fight to their unexpected visitor.   
"You are so uncute!" Ranma yelled out at Akane angrily as the doors to the training hall was opened and Kasumi walked in. She sighed as she saw her youngest sister and future brother-in-law fighting as always and continued to walk over to them.   
"Yey well, I hate perverts!" Akane yelled into Ranma's face. Ranma wasn't sure anymore when she was acting but hoped that was. Ranma turned from Akane who was still yelling at him and looked at the oncoming Kasumi. He smiled as he saw an excuse to stop their fight from escalating into real insults.   
"Hello Kasumi" Ranma greeted her happily "What can we do you for?" 

Kasumi smiled, shaking her head,   
"Will you two ever grow up and stop fighting. You know that most people are already past this stage at 18. At 23 you should be over it. Anyway I came to ask you a favour Akane, could you please go to the market and get some pork for dinner".   
"But I though we had enough already?" Akane asked Kasumi confused by her request.   
"Well I was sure we had more but I just checked the fridge and, it turns out that we don't, so would you be a dear and get us a little" Kasumi answered her. Ranma lowered his head trying to look small.   
"I'll be back before you know it" Akane smiled and walked towards the door, before leaving she turned "And Ranma don't you think this is over!" 

First Akane left the hall then Kasumi soon afterwards leaving Ranma standing alone in the lowering Sunlight. He sighed and returned to his training. 'I'll finish off some exercises and go and see what's happening around here'. He smiled to himself and started to punch air. 

……………… 

Ranma looked round the small dinning room he had now used with the Tendo's and his dad for 7 years now; he remembered the first time he was hit by it. In that time not much had changed, they still sat to the small table, with the window into the back garden dwarfing everyone in the room. It had been an hour since Akane had left and the moon had replaced the sun in the sky. Everyone was around the table except Kasumi who was making dinner and Akane who was still out.   
"So Ranma how are things going with these new recruits in the hall" Mr Tendo asked Ranma inquisitively. He had been itching to know what they were like, as they would be the future of the Anything Goes School Of Martial Arts. Ranma shrugged,   
"Some of them have talent, some are hopeless, but most are nothing special". 

"Well Ranma we could have gotten a lot more people to come if you had been a girl like we suggested" Nabiki reminded Ranma, hoping to convince him again. Ranma sighed and turned to look at her face to face,   
"If I'm going to run this training hall I will not have people coming because they want to see female flesh" Ranma told Nabiki angrily "I will only accept students willing to learn without extra incentives"   
"Ranma there's no point on acting all high and mighty. Its not like you hate being a girl, you change all the time" Nabiki told him, no longer wanting to convince him but wanting to finish the argument with her on-top.   
"I…" Ranma stuttered before bowing in defeat, "But I'm still not being a girl for a ton of perverts! And that's final".   
"Yes, Yes, Nabiki, but it is Ranma's choice and I'm sure he'll make the right one" Mr Tendo added.   
"Now your trying to make me feel guilty too, Mr Tendo" Ranma accused.   
"I'm sorry boy but she does have a point. All more students means more money and more money means a lot more Sokki!" Mr Tendo admitted. 

Ranma was about to fight back when out of the corner of his eyes saw something. Movement. Movement in the back garden. He at first thought that it must be Akane, but then realized, what would Akane be doing in the back garden? He focused his vision on the back garden ignoring the questions and arguments from the rest of the family. He saw it again, and again before he was sure. 

"Everyone quiet!" Ranma whispered, just loud enough to get alls attention. He knew that this couldn't be good. Everyone around the table who were talking among themselves stopped and looked at him.   
"What is it boy, you see something that scared you" Genma laughed at Ranma, not seeing what was happening around them. 

A scream bellowed through the house knocking Genma's joke to the wind. Mr Tendo jumped to his feet, knowing the voice the scream has come from. With tears in his eyes he ran to the door calling her name.   
"Kasumi!" Running to the Kitchen door two men fell from the roof, as quietly as leaves and blocked Mr Tendo's path. He forced himself to a stop as the two men where joined by other men dropping from different parts of the room and coming in the back window. Mr Tendo started to reverse to the rest in the group. Ranma and Genma stood back to back facing their foes,   
"Pap, What did you do now?" 

…………… 

Akane looked up at the stars, admiring them. She loved the stars, they always made her feel special, being the youngest of 3 sisters meant that she never felt special, one of her sisters had always done it before her. Sighing inwardly she continued her journey back home. Having picked up the pork that Kasumi asked for she wanted to get back soon and get some good training done before bed. 

In the last few months she had never felt so strong, but that wasn't any reason to stop training. No matter how good a martial artist one may become they must not stop, or become egotistical for that would spell the end for them. Her strength wasn't the only thing that had been different in the past few months, as she and Ranma discovered each other she hadn't felt so contempt. She was happy with her life and with the world that she was in. Happy, it was a word that she rarely had been able to use when connected to herself but she now could, yes she was happy. In only two months her opinion of Ranma as the perverted Jerk she thought he was had been overwritten with a Kind, caring young man, a man she was engaged to marry and for the first time she was happy for it. She sighed again deep in thought. 

She was abruptly pulled from her thinking, a shadow in front of her moved, she watched the man shaped shadow try to hide itself again. Waiting a few moments to lure it into a false sense of security she attacked it. Launching her fist at it she heard a loud groan. A Ryoga shaped mass fell to the ground, still groaning. Akane let out a gasp, she was used to hitting Ryoga every other day but she never felt any less sorry went he fell to the ground in a heap. Helping him up, Ryoga made several indiscernible gargle noises. Seeing Akane's face he pulled himself together remarkable fast and tried to act unhurt though just hurting himself more.   
"Hi Akane, fancy meeting you here" He opened, looking up into Akane's clearly concerned eyes.   
"Are you Ok? If I had known it was you I wouldn't have… But what were you doing hiding behind that lamppost" Akane asked him losing some of her concern, "Why would you hide there?" 

Ryoga jumped to his feet laughing as if she had said a particularly funny joke.   
"You know, just around, I wasn't hiding you see, ha, ha, ha". Akane was far from convinced by his excuse but knew that Ryoga was capable of causing no harm to her. He had been in love with her for years, but had only just discovered this recently. Ryoga on the other hand had no idea that she knew. It was for this reason that she was nervous about revealing the newfound companionship between Ranma and herself. She was scared of what he might do, not to her but to Ranma. 

She pulled herself from her knees and continued home past Ryoga, he quickly followed her along the deserted road. For several minutes the only sound was that of their feet beating off the concrete street, in time. It was in this peacetime that Ryoga pulled up the courage to talk to Akane. He was always so scared to talk when he was around her, but he never understood. He loved her, wasn't scared of her. Of course Ranma making a foul of him every time her was around didn't help. 'Come on you idiot, say it!' Ryoga thought to himself, 'Come on you idiot, just tell her, SAY IT!' He took a deep breath and decided, 'This is it, I'm going to tell her after all these years!'   
"Akane…I…I mean you and I…. We…." Ryoga stuttered, unable to get the simple words out of his mouth, as usual. Akane was going to put him out of his misery with another area of conversation when something in the distance caught her eye, a long black plum of smoke rising. 

Pointing it out to Ryoga she called, running ahead,   
"Come on Ryoga, maybe someone needs help!". Ryoga jogged up behind her confidently, 'Now this is something I can do, I can pull a lady out of burning building fine. Just don't ask me to express my feelings'. Comforted as he was that he could help Akane and maybe show how brave he was, neither he nor Akane were prepared for what they saw next. 

Crossing over to the main road the sight caught their eyes, the Dojo; the Tendo Dojo was smouldering, the reminisces burring out. Akane froze, glued to the spot unable to avert her eyes from a lifetime of memories going up in smoke. She was shacking uncontrollable. Ryoga had been almost as effected by the view of the burning building. He had attacked Ranma in that Dojo hundreds of times but he had never done any real damage and never caused pain to the occupants. He couldn't imagine the mind of a person who could cause such pain without cause to so many people who did not deserve any such punishment. 

It was Ryoga who moved first, taking a small step forward, trying to see the assailants responsible for the crime. Hatred in his eyes he continued towards the hall ahead of him, before he got several steps ahead Akane was beside him, advancing to her broken home. Coming to the same conclusion has Ryoga, knowing that no mere fire could have caused this, knowing the persons responsible would probable still be gloating over their work. 

Out of the black sky above them, black figures, black figures blacker than the night sky landed smoothly, surrounding a young man who was watching the burring dojo with utter contempt. One of the black figures turned to the youth, and spoke,   
"It is done and your orders have been carried out. But be warned, you must not inker the anger of ones as powerful as these again. Remember, we will not be here next time. Farewell". And without another word the black figures were gone, leaving the youth standing alone in the dark.   
"Ranma Saotome, you made a mistake when you thought you could beat me! Makoto. And now who's laughing, you aren't, and that's for sure" He yelled out to the remains of the Dojo, he quickly spat on the ground, turned ready to retreat from the scene. He didn't get far as a second later he hit the ground with a bang, Akane standing above the youth with a look of pure hatred in her eyes.   
"So you destroyed the dojo, you destroyed a lifetime of memories and all because you were to weak to beat him, to beat Ranma" Akane asked him, keeping remarkable calm for the situation.   
"Don't act so surprised. Or have you never faced a real martial artist. 'Always be ready to do anything to achieve your goal'". He quoted to her; pulling his face out of the ground she forced it into. His obvious uncaring made Akane angrier, if that was possible. She grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and pulled him right up to her.   
"YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO CLAIM YOU KNOW MARSIAL ARTS, you are nothing but a coward," She yelled into his face, spurting him with spit.   
"Maybe so, maybe so but its more than your memories that I have taken this night" He told her calmly, unaffected by her powerful grip on him. It took Akane several moments to register what he had meant. Promptly she dropped him, pulled herself to her feet and ran towards the dojo at full speed. Her mind full of images, picture, Nabiki, Dad, Kasumi, Mr Tendo, P-Chan… Ranma. The thought almost made her sick but she needed to continued, to get there and save them. Through these thoughts she barely heard Ryoga's warning yelled out to her. She looked up just in time to see the flash, and then there was the pain. 

……………… 

The normal run to school each day was always an 'interesting' time for Ranma. He never knew when he was going to deal with Akane, never knew when she was going to get angry or just be herself, well that wasn't too different from her being angry. It had been a relatively ordinary morning. Nothing out of the ordinary. He and his father had trained in their favourite spot right over the large pond in the back garden Ryoga was pretending to be a pig again, and Nabiki was trying to sell him another piece of 'Authentic' Amazon history. The only real difference was that Kasumi had fallen ill and was in bed, which lead to Akane cooking the breakfast. The problem? Nobody had the decency to tell him, or he would have left for school early to avoid an excuse not to eat. Akane's food was dangerous you see, if she was alive in the 40's Japan would have won World War II. 

Akane didn't take his attempts to dodge her cooking to well, leading to quite a bit of pain for him. He never understood her tendency to attack him with blunt interments. That is why he didn't like her, even in the slightest. He even sometimes wished something would just come and take her out of his misery. So all in all it was an ordinary morning, nothing really out of the ordinary taking place. Now he and Akane were calm, walking along the same road to the same place but defiantly not together. She marched along the road while he skipped along the top of the fence, the same one he walked every day. 

"Ranma" Akane's voice shocked him nearly making him fall into the very cold and wet river below him. This was the first time she was spoken to him since that morning, and she didn't seem angry. That was the shocking part.   
"Yeah, What?" Ranma asked, still keeping his defences at full to block any schoolbag attacks. He never let his defences down, especially when something like this happened. He remembered the old Philosopher who said 'Every so often declare peace, it will cause confusion and weakness in your enemies'. Akane didn't even look at him,   
"Don't think that I like you or anything but…." Akane continued. Now Ranma was really confused but he refused to let this on. He just sniggered,   
"Don't worry I wont… but what?" He asked her still trying to act as if he didn't care in the slightest. Akane turned a cruel smile onto him,   
"But you should have been in class early today. At least 20 minutes ago by my watch". Ranma froze on the spot. With all the commotion that morning he had forgotten about it. He was to be in early, it was his turn to fix up the class before it started and here he was, late, even for normal school time. He'd have to hold a lot of buckets for this. 

He bolted along the fence at full speed in the direction of the school. Akane just scowled at him. She hated the way he did this, always showing off in someway or another, trying to make her feel small and insignificant. She couldn't stand it or him and he was the one she was supposed to marry, 'What a joke' she thought. Once again the usual anger towards him build and before she knew it she had already thrown her schoolbag at him. It wasn't long before she regretted it, now she would have to reclaim it and that would lead to her own water bucket punishment. To her surprise her bag didn't hit him, in fact he vanished from its flight path. Running over she watched Ranma bobbing in the river below. Ranma threw herself out of the water gargling. "Ah" She gasped for breath, "What are they playing at when you can't even walk along a fence without it falling!" She was not happy, now she'd have to get hot water to turn back and she'd be even later for class. 

A Scream tore though her mind, a darkened figure bolted out of the river Ranma had just fallen into, grabbed Akane and was now dragging her across the nearby rooftops. Ranma acted without even sending her mind the impulse, and a second later she was also in the air in close pursuit. Akane's screams where still ringing in Ranma's ears, the same questions bolting across her mind, who? What? Why? Ranma looked at the dark figure she was chasing, Akane still struggling to get free, even in mid-air. Ranma didn't recognize the person, which was hard as they were covered up but she felt their way of moving was familiar.   
"Come back here!" Ranma yelled loudly at the fleeing kidnapper, "Stop and fight you coward!" They had passed several more homes when they slowed and stopped, leaving one house between Ranma and themselves. 

Over the sort distance separating them Ranma watch Akane fight still more now that she felt they were on a solid surface. The assailant bending into Akane's attacks put her down onto the roof, looking up Akane froze seeing under the hood of her attacker, before being knocked unconscious. Ranma watched her slump over and their attacker turn to face her. 'What the' Ranma thought ' Why didn't she run and who could have knocked her out that easy'. Ranma felt something he hadn't felt for a long time, the first inkling of fear. 

They faced each other over the gulf between roofs. Ranma studied his opponent, the hooded face, their small body, but it was the chest Ranma focused on most. She realized that this attacker was a girl, which surprised her even more, 'The power of that attack'. She didn't really want to take on this person but there was no choice, she wasn't going to abandon Akane to whoever this was. Also this attacker even through her hood Ranma could have sworn she saw a look of superiority, a look Ranma wanted to wipe off their face. 

Ranma ignored the first rule of any martial artist, she let her guard down. Their assailant was in the air, and launched down onto Ranma. She jumped to the side energetically, avoiding the hit and climbing back to her feet. The tiles shock and split, ripping a hole in the roof. Ranma suppressed a gasp, and launched an attack.   
"Chestnut roasting on an open fire technique" She yelled throwing a hundred fists at the attacker. She just smiled at Ranma and jumped into the air again,   
"C.R.O.F.T Counter!" She yelled, landing behind Ranma, grabbing the helm of her top and throwing her over herself. Ranma ripped free, and landed lightly a few feet away on the devastated roof. 

Ranma's mind was running a mile a minute, how could she be able to counter her moves. Did the old ghoul train her and order her to remove Akane…Again. And without another thought the battle continued, Ranma in air launching a powerful kick at their attackers head. Ranma didn't even see it happen, but a second later she was ploughed into the already broken tiles of the roof. She spat out a little blood, pulling herself to her feet,   
"Who are you?!" Ranma yelled. She remained her gaze unmoving from Ranma. To Ranma's surprise she turned her back on her and returned to the unmoving Akane. Ranma was struck with rage; she was being ignored, ignored by a complete stranger. She launched into another attack, the decider, the most powerful attack she could muster.   
"Saotome school of Martial Art special attack, Safe house crusher". She ran at the attacker, bringing her fists into a strong offensive position ready to launch the attack, save Akane and learn the identity of the masked attacker. As if knowing the move themselves the attacker ducked down under Ranma's attack and punched her in the stomach multiple times. She straitened up while Ranma remained ridged in place. Moving herself she whispered quietly into Ranma's ear and with a small push Ranma toppled from the destroyed roof, into the alleyway below. 

She watched Ranma slam into the ground like a wet sake, returned to Akane and continued. In the Alley below Ranma lay, unconscious. 

…………… 

Dust, nothing but dust. She had always hated dust; lucky for her she never had to live with it before now. The old abandoned warehouse she was now using was infested with it, making her sneeze mercilessly while she was in there. She sat on the grated floor, which not being the most comfortable of places was the best she had now that her guest had the only chair. Sitting motionlessly on a small chair in the centre of the room was Akane. 

She shock her head over at the limp girl, she wished she hadn't had to do that, she hated causing pain, and in her case it was special. Looking down at a cracked mirror in her hand she sighed and lifted it up so she could see her own face. She snarled in frustration seeing her black mask still covering her face. She hated wearing the accused thing; it made her feel like a criminal or something equally nasty. 

Grabbing the cuff of the hood she pulled it off, revealing her face through the mirror. A look of exhaustion, her beautiful black hair in a mess dampening her pretty face. It looked like it hadn't been tended to in days and her large brown eyes blackened with ringlets, and reddened with tears. She let out a gasp seeing the Bain of her face again, no matter how many times she saw it she never got used to it. A large darkened scar ripped across her face from above her eye all the way down to her right cheek. 

She touched the scar, twitching from the stinging, from the pain. 'It will soon be over' She thought to herself, 'The pain, the anger, all of it, soon'. She had only one more thing to do and it should all be over. She looked over to Akane, 'and I have plan B in place if A should fail'. 

She jumped to her feet seeing Akane, stir. The first thing Akane saw was the face of her attacker, right in front of her. It gave her a shock but she hid it. Before confronting her attacker she looked around the room, trying to decipher her position. Giving up she returned her gaze to her abductor.   
"Who are you, and why do you look like…" Akane asked weakly, trailing off, although she was asleep she felt like she had been awake for days, and the bump on her head didn't help that much. All she wanted were answers and sleep; escape was the last thing on her mind. The longer she was away from that 'Idiot' Ranma the better. 

"Yes, yes Akane I know what you think, but no I haven't stolen your face" She answered Akane with a little smile "I look like you, because I am you!" Akane's older self looked almost gleeful at Akane's confused expression,   
"Well technically not you" She explained pointing at Akane "Because here you are, but you seven years from now". Akane shuffled the facts around in her head; strangely enough the facts seemed to make an odd form of sense, and not knowing why she believed what this older version of her was saying. The next thing she knew she was trying to ask a hundred questions at once,   
"Why are you? What happened? How..." Future Akane's smile vanished in the cloud of questions; this was an area of questioning she didn't want to go into, there were too many bad memories lurking there. Grudgingly she decided hiding things from herself would do nothing but fuel her suspicions against her, and in the long term that may be dangerous.   
"Well I was inquisitive wasn't I, Sorry but I can't answer your questions… Not all of them anyway" Future Akane told her younger self "I will answer how first, I got here with use of 'Cologne's Mirror, you remember the one that we used to go back to ancient China". 

Akane nodded in approval, 'If I was her, well I am, I would have done the same thing. I guess that makes sense then' Akane thought 'but tell me something more important, Why?' Akane was not known for her patience. She hated to be kept waiting and now her future self had just gone quiet deep in thought. It occurred to her that she could escape, no chains or ropes, one second she was there the next gone. No, if this person was really her, she wanted to help her.   
"Why did you kidnap me, and what happened to your face?" Akane asked, pulling her older self out of her thoughts. At first the question didn't register with her, but soon enough she looked grave once more. The two questions she knew couldn't be answered truthfully at least and she asked them.   
"This" Akane answered, motioning to the scar on her face "This was given to me in an 'anything goes' martial Arts battle. Don't worry its years off for you, but still never let your eyes off an opponent"   
"And?" Akane asked, not satisfied.   
"And What?" Her future self quickly replied.   
"Why did you kidnap me?" 

"I can't tell you that, but be sure I won't try and hurt you but I can't let you leave. Not until everything is completed" She was answered, anger flared inside Akane, she had no plan to escape, but she hated being ordered around. She pulled herself out of her chair; unsurprised her future self grabbed her by the shoulder and pulled her back into the chair.   
"What did I just say Akane, you can't leave" Future Akane said scalding her younger self. Akane's anger grew even stronger; she refused to tell her and then refuses to let her leave and all after attacking her! Her opinion of her future self had completely changed, just these few sentences left her hating herself. 

Akane launched her fist at her future self; to her surprise she grabbed it before it had even reached her face. A second later Future Akane had grabbed her younger self's chin and raised her face to meet hers.   
"Don't try it Akane, I have had seven years more training than you, not even your Ranma was able to get me with a single punch" She told her younger self. Akane froze, unsure what to think 'Ranma tried to rescue me?' 

With her younger self deep in thought Akane removed her hand from her chin and moved it to the base of her younger self's spine and applied a little bit of pressure. Akane froze again but this time not by choice. Akane tried to complain bitterly but only gurgles could make it out of her unmoving mouth. With her younger self frozen in one spot Akane collected several heavy ropes from around the chair and tied her younger self up in them, tightly. Then with another little bit of pressure on the spine she could move again.   
"LET ME GO!" Akane yelled at her older self. From the warehouse window she looked back, and smiled.   
"I'll see you soon Akane, and please don't leave the building, It will all be over soon, very soon" She replaced her black hood and jumped from the opened window. Unheeding her own warning Akane continued struggling with her bindings. 

……………… 

An array of a hundred colours welcomed Ranma back to the world of the conscious. Swimming in her vision, blocking out her view of the real world. As she pulled herself uncertainly to her feet, the colours slowly brought her view back into focus. Her head was splitting, and she couldn't even remember how she had found herself face first in a largely built up pile of rubbish bags in a back ally. She staggered a little trying to walk in a straight line out of the dirt. 

All she remembered were images, a large collection of images that made no real sense. A black figure, a destroyed roof, falling into the river… Akane unconscious. Everything flooded back into her mind at lightning speed, the attack, the fight, and her fall. Straightening, Ranma regained her focus very quickly and started to run, run out of the alleyway. Blinded by anger, fear, shame she didn't see it. Blocking the entrance to the ally a tea salesmen's cart sat serving thirsty passers by. 

Ranma smashed into the cart, covering her with burning hot water. He groaned as the hot water burned into his skin, he pulled himself off the ground and continued to run. Behind him he could hear the yelling of the carts owner and the complaints of his customers. Normally Ranma would have felt bad if something like this happened and he would have stopped to apologize but now he had no time, he had to find that old Ghoul! She was the only one capable of training someone to avoid his attacks, and now she would pay for what she had done. He wasn't sure if she would be there or not but the 'Cat Café' seemed a good place to start. 

Jumping he rebounded off several walls and continued his travels over the rooftops of Tokyo, heading south straight to the Cat Café. His mind was blank of all but this one task and the last thing he needed was to be interrupted.   
"Hiya Ran-Chan" The sudden interruption caught Ranma by surprise, without stopping he looked over to see Okyo jumping along beside him. He threw her a look that could sour milk. Okyo fell back a little surprised by it but she was never one to back off, especially from Ranma. She matched her jumps with his. 

"What's wrong Ran-Chan?" She asked him "You look terrible". Ranma didn't even look at her as he answered, Okyo could sense that there was something very wrong with him, she could see it in his aura.   
"Now is not the time Okyo" Ranma angrily snapped at her, he didn't care, he couldn't care about anything, anything other than Akane and getting her out trouble, helping her. Okyo could sense Ranma getting angrier with her by the second. She wanted to help, she needed to help, but she couldn't till he told her what was going on. 

She raised her hand to Ranma's shoulder, but Ranma shifted it from her. He didn't have the time. Okyo again raised her hand to his shoulder but this time Ranma turned round and pushed her back. She nearly lost her footing and fell into the street far below them.   
"I DON'T HAVE TIME!" Ranma yelled at her. He should have known better than that. Okyo never gave up and if you go angry with her she just tried harder to find out why.   
"What did you do that for?!" Okyo yelled at him. She rarely got angry, especially towards her fiancé but Ranma had pushed her limit. "I'm only trying to help you or are you too blind to see that!"   
"Okyo get out of my…" Ranma started. 

"What's all this ruckus about?" The pleasant old ladies voice was all to familiar to Ranma he had been forced to listen to that voice too often and forced into the worst of situations by it. But now it was worse than ever it was before. It was the voice of the one Ranma 'Knew' was responsible for Akane's kidnapping. Cologne, the old ghoul. 

Ranma turned his head to see if his ears were deceiving him, that it really was her. He guessed that being so angry he hadn't even realized but he had reached his destination, the Cat Café and he was now standing on its roof. He turned the anger that Okyo had built up inside him to Cologne and launched at her.   
"What did you do with her you old Ghoul!" Ranma yelled running at her. She sighed turning herself to the side using her trademark staff. Ranma came to a halt at the edge of the roof, threatening to fall he tried to regain is balance. When it looked as if he was about to lose it Cologne hit him in the face with her staff. Falling painfully back onto the roof Ranma just looked up angrily at the old lady his face stinging.   
"Son in law I thought I taught you better than that. Never attack when you are angry, it leaves you wide open and stupid," She said sadly looking down at her future family "Now who do you think I have taken?" 

"Don't play dumb with me, only you could have taught her counters to all my attacks" Ranma yelled at the living mummy. Cologne looked taken aback by the remarks. Ranma smiled in victory,   
"So your actions betray you. You know what's going on! Don't you!"   
"I don't know what you mean," Cologne answered regaining her composer.   
"I told you not to play dumb! Who did you train to take Akane!?" Ranma yelled at her jumping to his feet. Okyo gasped, she knew from the way that Ranma was acting that what had happened was bad but she had no idea. Akane was taken, and not only that but when Ranma was there and able to fight to protect her. Who could have that sort of power? 

Cologne froze in thought, piecing bits of a puzzle invisible to everyone else together.   
"Ghoul don't stall! What have you done with her!?" Ranma yelled at her "And who was she". Cologne fired an insulted look at him.   
"Ranma in all the time I have known you have I ever attacked Akane or kidnapped her un-openly?" Ranma was taken back by this unexpected question.   
"Well…. No" Ranma answered truthfully.   
"Then don't insult my honour! I had nothing to do with this attack but any opponent with that sort of power is a danger to too many people" She told him "I felt a powerful force enter the city, but I can't tell you beyond that" 

Ranma didn't really understand why he did but he believed her. He believed the crack pot old foul, maybe it was because she called him Ranma or because he just realized that even in her really bad attacks she had always been honourable. Okyo placed her hand on his shoulder and this time Ranma didn't pull away from her.   
"Ran-Chan I believe her, I believe that she didn't kidnap her" Okyo told Ranma; she too didn't understand why she believed this old witch, mother to one of her rivals.   
"Yeah" Ranma answered Okyo. 

"Son in Law, take Shampoo with you on your search for this kidnapper" Cologne asked rejoining the exchange.   
"You have got to be kidding" Okyo blurted out, she had always hated that Chinese girl. She never caused Ran-Chan anything but pain, not to mention all her scams to make him fall in love with her. She couldn't stand giving her another chance to bump off Akane and herself to claim Ran-Chan for herself. "We couldn't possible".   
"Don't be so hasty Okyo, we're going to need all the help we can get" Ranma told her calming himself for the first time since he had woken in the alleyway "This girl was able to match everything I fired at her. With you and Shampoo there you can get Akane out while I fight her. I won't lose this time! But you both can get Akane out of harms way". 

Okyo backed down, she knew he was right, two is better than one and likewise three is better than two, but isn't three a crowd.   
"Ok Ghoul get Shampoo but be quick about it we haven't got a second to waste!" Ranma told her. It was time to search for Akane! It was time to teach her kidnapper a lesson she'll never forget. 

……………. 

It was dark, really dark. Makoto really hated the dark. He didn't mind it as much when he was with other people but unfortunately for him he was alone and it was quite, quite dark. The whole school gym was Shrouded In Shadow. The air was filled with a warm misty feeling to the skin. The only light that came into the gym were from the far off street lights. Makoto may have hated the dark but knew that he couldn't turn on the lights, he couldn't let a soul know he was there or there would be hell to pay.   
It had been a week since it had all began, that he vowed he would become a great martial arts master and teach them a lesion, them all a lesion. Other people at the school, popular people, had always picked him on, people who couldn't look past the slightest imperfection. On his first day he had been marked 'Freak', seeing him as a pencil boy because he was scrawnier than most, it had made him angry but it takes more than anger to stop it, to stop the constant attacks, it took dedication. Dedication to show to them you won't lie down and take it. It was one week passed that he first declared his mission and started to train. His parents hated that, they thought that the martial arts could only lead to trouble for him.   
That led to him, breaking into the school gym each evening after it had closed and training, training to end the endless torment. As he trained the air just seemed to get warmer until he gave up and took a seat on one of the benches to the side of the gym. He smiled inwardly, he had at last found something that made him happy. He could have trained there all night but his parents would get worried. Lifting a small bag beside him he launched and jumped to his feet. "We'll see who's so tough now!" He called into the school hall, as silent as dead itself. He walked across the gym greeted by his echo. 

"I know your past," A loud voice echoed throughout the empty hall. Makoto stopped dead in his tracks; someone was there with him. Watching him. Creaking his head he tried to get a glimpse his unexpected company.   
"What? You do realize this is a public building and nobody except aphorised persons are allowed here" He called out, he just needed them to speak a little bit more to pin point their location. The silence of only a second lasted an hour, waiting.   
"I know your present" The mocking voice came again, it appeared to Makoto to be coming from everywhere, 'continue speaking lead me to you!'   
"Who are you and what do you want with me!" Makoto yelled out challenging the intruder to speak again. Silence again, it was getting old. 

"I know your future!" The voice yelled back at him. He was taken aback by the voice. It seemed to be oozing hatred, hared for him. He was puzzled; whom did he know well enough to be hated? He needed to know, who was it. Just once more speak just once more. Tell me where you are.   
"Why, why do you know and hate me?" He called back, challenging another answer.   
"You destroyed my life and now I will destroy yours" The voice came again. He had it, it was coming from above him. He looked up, just in time to see a glint of steel and then the pain. He was thrown back across the floor and eventually was stopped as he collided with a piece of jumping equipment. His attacker landed gracefully on the wooden floor without making even the slightest sound. 

As Makoto raised his face from the floor he saw the blood spread across it. It was then he felt the pain, not only in his back but a searing pain across his face. He looked up to the darkened shadow of his attacker, walking forward, to him. The shadow wiped a sword clean as they became more visible. Panic struck Makoto, this maniac attacked him with a sword, a real sword! He crawled backwards right up against the jumping equipment again, with nowhere else to go.   
"Wha.. What do you think your doing" Makoto stammered at the oncoming figure. It had now reached him. Bowing down low in front of him she could almost smell the fear leaking off him. She knew she shouldn't but she liked it. 

"How did that feel" She asked him motioning to her scar "Did it hurt as much as it did for me?". Makoto just stared up at her wide-eyed, he didn't get what was going on. He had seen this girl before, at school, Akane, she was the one person in the whole school ho had never been mean to him, but she looked different, older, stronger, anger. He opened his mouth to ask her why she was doing this but nothing came out. Akane continued,   
"That was number one, equalling personal pain now two". So much had happened to her since the attack on the dojo, so much anger, hatred, and sadness. She was not the same person, she wasn't even sure if she was mentally Ok anymore. The pain, the sadness, the anger had driven her mad. Then she found the mirror, in the rowans of the Dojo. She tried to get it working; she knew it could make its holder travel through time but how. Weeks had passed when she finally figured it out and she returned to remove the trouble, the one person who created the hatred, the pain, the anger. Then all would be good again. All she had to do was remove that one person. 

Akane had frozen, her face down beside Makoto, she had chosen the wrong moment to go deep into thought. He looked up into her face, he still didn't understand what was happening, other than this girl was trying to either kill or hurt him badly. She had already sliced his face so that they would have the same scar. And she thought that he gave her that scar, that was not possible. He didn't even know how to use a sword and he wouldn't even dream of doing something so disgusting to anyone. He may want to kick the Asses of the people who made his life hell but scaring them for life would be too far and she was one person he would like to get to know. Not scar. 

He had not choice, he had to take the opportunity that had been given to him. He had to run, now when she was thinking. His heart beating faster than it had even beaten in his life he bolted to his feet and ran for the door. Akane thrown right out of her thoughts saw him running. A second later she was after him. When the doors to the locked gym wouldn't open he turned to face her,   
"I've done nothing to you. I always liked you". 

Akane froze but for a second, and with a flick of her hand slit his throat. He fell to the ground with a slight whistling sound. Before he had hit the ground she had gone. Before Makoto died he felt one last emotion, the last thing he would ever feel. Pity, he felt pity for Akane and for what she had done, for she had to live with the guilt, the guilt of stealing another's life. 

……………….. 

Searching the city Ranma, Okyo and Shampoo never noticed the transaction from day into night. They had checked for people who may have seen her and even had Ryoga, Kuno and Moose searching for her in different parts of the city than them. They were on their way to check the last sighting that they had been told about when Nabiki appeared below them and motioned them to come down from the rooftops.   
"Geez's why must you always take the dramatic route" Nabiki snidely asked them as they came to the ground. They had been searching all day and Ranma was not in the mood for Nabiki's temperament. 

"What is it Nabiki, What do you want" Ranma asked her hurriedly, he wanted to get on, his enthusiasm to find Akane hadn't chilled but his brain certainly wasn't working at full power.   
"Oh nothing really" She lied; Ranma had had it and was about to jump back up when she caught his attention. "You haven't let my little sister get kidnapped have you", Ranma froze on the spot and turned to her again. He was now getting angry,   
"I didn't LET anyone get kidnapped," He told her angrily "But how did you know?" Nabiki smiled a smile that only Nabiki could,   
"Well before a long story I have some information that may help you in your search" She told him, Ranma's eyes lit up "But it will cost you". Ranma couldn't believe it, how could she be doing this.   
"Nabiki, she's your sister" Ranma reminded her, appealing to her sense of decency.   
"Nabiki rule 17, never let family get in the way of your business, 5,000yen please" Nabiki said proving that she had no sense of decency. Ranma grudgingly placed five battered 1,000Yen notes into Nabiki's outstretched hand. She looked down at them and huffed,   
"I don't usually accept battered notes" She told Ranma, Ranma showed his anger by cracking his knuckles. Hurriedly she added "But for you I will make an exception". 

She took a deep breath and began,   
"To cut a long story short when you didn't come home for Dinner we realized there was something wrong, but our fears where confirmed when this arrived". She held up a small brown envelope. Nabiki handed it to Ranma. He held it upside down, apiece of paper slowly slid out and landed on Ranma's outstretched hand.   
"I have Akane, come" Ranma read out loud, "And there's an address".   
"Daddy wanted to go but Kasumi reminded him that he was in no condition to be going on rescues. Then I was sent to find you and give you this" Nabiki recalled. 

"Give?" Ranma asked Nabiki accusingly, Nabiki smiled,   
"Well a gals gotta make a living don't she".   
"So the photos not selling well anymore" Ranma asked, still more accusingly.   
"What photos would they be?" Nabiki asked trying to appear innocent. Ranma was about to continue to pump her for information, information worth the 5,000Yen he paid when Okyo interrupted him,   
"Ran-Chan we are wasting time"   
"We should go on" Shampoo agreed, Ranma agreed, he jumped rebounding off the walls of surrounding houses back onto the roof. Before Shampoo and Okyo had even got onto the roof themselves Ranma had shot himself north, north towards the challenge and to Akane. 

………………. 

Akane looked into her reflection in the broken mirror as if trying to see the unseen. She was confused, throughout her life she had been raised to be a good girl, to do what her husband wanted to be the perfect wife for any man who should wander into their life and inherit the Tendo Dojo. She refused this up bringing like her sister Nabiki but she unlike her sister was unable to escape that terrible fate. To be engaged to someone she had just met and really hated. 

She refused to listen to her heart instead listening to her fists and to her distrusts. In the 7 years Ranma stayed at the Tendo Dojo he never betrayed her once, not once and not only that he went to the greatest lengths, even to the edge of death to protect her. Of course she never understood this, she always let her fists do the talking, pummel now and ask questions later, that was what she always did. She hurt the one she loved more than anyone else in her life and the real irony was she never even realized it. 

When she finally understood, when it had all been sorted out when she and Ranma not only helped and protected each other but knew that they loved each other it all ended The peace, the tranquillity, the love, all of it destroyed by one man. Now that one man the one who caused it all was dead, but she was still here. If the future, the future she knew was changed then she would no longer exist but she did. She had killed, not only killed a fellow human being but now it was clear that she killed him in vain. The future had not been changed the pain, the suffering, the anger where still on track to be 6 years down the line. As she looked into the mirror she kept seeing his face, the man… no boy she had just killed in cold blood. She shuddered at the memory. 

The thing that scared her the most, beyond the pain, the loss, the hatred, was when that she caused him pain she liked it. Here reflection dyed red in front of her eyes. She was a killer and that boy wouldn't be the last. Now she had no choice to change the future. There was only one possible way to change the road they were travelling. She had to kill the one who lead to the attack on the Dojo, she had to kill her one true love, she had to kill Ranma. 

She shuddered at the thought. She still remembered seeing him, lying motionless on the grass outside the burned dojo. It ripped her heart up inside and that was the day that Akane Tendo died, the day her life ended. Not only that but she would have to relive it again, relive the pain, but she would do it herself. She would force the pain she had suffered onto her younger self but the family would be spared. She would have to endure the ultimate sacrifice to save her family; she would have to kill the one person she ever truly loved. 

She dropped the mirror onto the metal floor with a small clanging. Slowly she rose to her feet and started to pace along the see-through floor. There was no backing out now, he was coming to save her, and he was coming to fight her. She picked up her hood and shrouded her face. She could not allow Ranma to see who she was. That would make things more difficult to deal with. She knew Ranma as intimately as her knew himself, Ranma would come alone to fight her and then he will die. She shuddered at the thought, 

"You maybe strong" Ranma yelled across the abandoned warehouse. Akane turned to face him, she guessed he entered while she was thinking; she should really pay more attention to what's going on around her. "But I will not let you hurt Akane, never". Ranma ran at her, launching an Arial kick at her. She dodged it and Ranma flew over the side rail. He dropped onto the ground floor below. This was his plan, to draw the kidnapper away so Okyo and Shampoo can get Akane out of harms way. 

Ranma landed gracefully on the concrete floor but still raised some of the solid layer of dust from the floor. His opponent came down in front of him, and not a bit moved from the floor. They faced each other, still as statues waiting for the other to make the first move. As the time past Ranma lost his patience and launched another attack on Akane. He sent a barade of punches into Akane, hundreds a second. Akane blocked each punch more effortlessly as the last, finally grabbing his fists and freezing him to the spot. Akane kicked Ranma in the stomach, powerfully. He flopped to the ground, with the powerful force of her arms Akane forced him back to his feet, and kicked him again. Let go of his hands, punched him in the face straightening him before backwards kicking him backwards, backwards through one of the supports for the upper level. Akane looked at the unmoving body of Ranma at the other side of the warehouse, she refused to move knowing that Ranma couldn't be brought down that easily. 

Ranma laid still quickly thinking of a new strategy. He realized there was no point on a frontal attack; she just turned every attack he did into an attack on him. In the short time Ranma had to think he came to the conclusion that she had no real attacks of her own and just turned others against them. Coughing up blood Ranma pulled himself to his feet, he needed to delay her long enough for them to get Akane out. Ranma knew that she was good but how are you meant to beat someone you can't hit. Pulled to his feet he looked at the blackened kidnapper, he knew her, just he couldn't pin point where from. 

"You can not beat mean Ranma Saotome" Akane told him, deliberately lowering her voice to sound more girlish "I know all of your attacks and some you don't even know yet". If there was one thing that burned Ranma up and made him mad, really made him mad it was someone who said they knew it all, who knew everything, know it alls.   
"You may think you know everything," Ranma shouted at her "But you know what, you're just a Tomboy, and I don't lose to girl, especially Tomboys". Akane's eye twitched, he had struck a nerve as he had planned.   
"Why you stupid pervert!" Akane yelled running at Ranma. Ranma jumped in the air as she reached him, punching midair Akane lost her balance and started to fall to the ground. Ranma dropped and rapping his legs around her head he smashed her painfully onto the ground before jumping again and landing down onto her again. 'Worked like a charm' Ranma thought to himself, 'He who can't control their anger is ruled by it' and anger can throw even the greatest martial artist off for the critical second. All he needed to do was make her angry. 

Akane pulled herself to her feet; she didn't expect to be in the dust during this fight. It appeared that Ranma had played the anger card; she knew she had a problem with anger management but she would control it, for this fight, for her future. She prepared to return to the battle, prepared to do what she must 

While the battle continued below them Okyo and Shampoo quietly made their way along the metal floor. Not that it made a difference with all the noises of fighting below. Making out Akane wasn't too hard for them, tied to a chair in the centre, blindfolded and ganged. When they had almost reached Akane they nearly lost their balance as the whole level shuck. Looking down Okyo saw Ranma pummelled into the dust below; he had knocked out one of their levels supports with him. This was all the more reason to hurry; God knows how many other supports will be knocked out in this battle. 

Shampoo immediately started to untie Akane's binds though it was hard as she kept fidgeting and yelling through her gag. Okyo removed her gag quickly and covered her mouth blocking her continued yelling. Okyo then removed the blindfold, when she saw that it was Okyo Akane stopped yelling. Okyo let go of her mouth and spoke softly into her ear,   
"We've come to get you out of here" Okyo said motioning to Shampoo undoing her binds. Akane nodded and waited, she wanted to know about the commotion but knew she had better not speak encase she heard it. Yelling below she heard Ranma and turned to see him standing facing herself. With the bounds undone they quick made their way out of the window and onto a small metal balcony. As she was passing through the window she heard herself yelling out in pain. 'Good' she thought 'Let her suffer'. 

When they were safely on the balcony and out of earshot of the battle Akane couldn't hold back her questions any longer.   
"What is going on?" Akane asked, wondering what in Gods name was happening.   
"What has happened, well you where kidnapped" Okyo answered, Akane turned red.   
"I noticed that! What's been happening, what's Ranma doing down there?" Akane asked, this time hoping for less of a stupid answer.   
"Ok, we three have been searching for you all day, a challenge arrives and that's Ranma fighting the challenge while we snuck in and got you out of harms way" Okyo told her "Well that's the shortened version anyway". Shampoo just laughed at Okyo,   
"Ayia, we must help Ranma" Shampoo told them; "Fiancée can't get hurt". Akane agreed with a nod Okyo didn't,   
"What about his pride, fighting alone and all".   
"Did you see what was going on in there, Ranma was getting beat we must help him" Akane told Okyo, "You must help him, we must". 

Okyo and Shampoo looked closely at Akane,   
"Why you care about Ranma?" Shampoo asked Akane, Akane turned bright red,   
"I don't… Well he did… He did help save me!" She told them hoping that would be the end of it.   
"Ayia, you love Ranma too!" Shampoo yelled, "You do love him". Okyo just starred open mouthed,   
"You. You like him".   
"No, just… We have to help him," Akane said trying to end the conversation and well aware that time was ticking away for Ranma. Both Shampoo and Okyo agreed this time and then moved on. Before they crossed into the warehouse again Shampoo from behind attacked with her trademark weapon. Akane dodged in time but Okyo, who was caught unaware, now learning to trust Shampoo was knocked clean out. Akane turned ready to fight,   
"I fight for Ranma Pervert Girl" Shampoo yelled at Akane, she was now really angry. Time was ticking away for Ranma and she wanted to fight over him!   
"If we don't hurry we will be fighting over a broken man!" Akane yelled at her "We don't have time for this". 

"Ranma for Shampoo" Shampoo told her angrily before launching at her with her weapons again. This time Akane grabbed it by the end smashed it back into its owner and off the balcony. Akane watched her land on her feet but it would take her along time to get up again.   
"Ranma's mine Stupid girl!" She yelled from the bottom. 

Akane just ignored her, she needed to get inside, she needed to help Ranma against herself. She needed to help him or she would lose him, for good. Rushing into the warehouse she was ready to fight herself and win. 

Below in the dust Ranma and Akane continued their battle. A quick retreat and lull before the battle started anew.   
"Stupid Tomboy, pervert, freak" Ranma yelled at her. She controlled her anger; this attack could not work on her forever. She would make sure that she would not listen to these childish insults. Ignoring him just made Ranma further ferocious.   
"Build like a brick, thighs are too thick" Ranma yelled at her. For the first time he was happy for he and Akane's little fights. They were packed with insults he could use. She lost it, old angers she buried long before awoke again. She fired a volley of kicks into him; Ranma dodged some of them but failed to dodge most. Fired back he landed in the dust again with a groan. 

It was time, Akane decided it was time to put an end to Ranma and this whole episode, his time was up and he had made it easier for her to do what she needed to do. She took several steps towards Ranma before she was stopped dead in her tracks. Young Akane dropped to the ground in front of her, throwing dust everywhere, blinding Older Akane. Blinded by the dust she looked around to find the source of the disturbance. Before she found it a fist connected with her cheek. As the dust cleared she saw her younger self standing in front of her waving her fist around the dust. When they caught eyes of each other younger Akane launched her fist at her. Older Akane grabbed it out of the air, and lifted her off the ground by her hand. 

"Your only making it harder for yourself" Older Akane told herself "It would have been easier but now you will be personally responsible", Ranma had pulled himself to his feet to see Akane being attacked by her kidnapper. As he prepared to attack again Older Akane jumped into the air and landed on the upper floor, Ranma followed in suit. Older Akane backed towards the far edge of the floor, Ranma followed her. 

"No, stop there Ranma, another step and Akane goes for a little tumble" Older Akane yelled out to Ranma. Her mind was working 90 thoughts a second, she had no intention of dropping herself but it would be easy to trick him into thinking she would. Still holding Akane by the fist he moved her over the side of the rail, ready to drop. Ranma froze in his place. He couldn't let anything happen to Akane, never, not after all he went through already to save her. His options where limited. 

"What is it you want?" Ranma called back, "Just don't hurt her". Ranma wouldn't', couldn't let anything happen to her. He was willing to do anything to allow her to be freed, to be safe. Future Akane smiled, she guessed right. Even at this early stage of their lives we had loved each other, we could have…   
"Don't Ranma get out of here, she won't drop me. She can't" Akane yelled at Ranma, she couldn't let Ranma do something stupid, not to save her. 

Pulled out of her thoughts again by Akane's yelling's to Ranma older Akane confronted her,   
"Don't be so sure, I have no future either way".   
"Ranma, surrender yourself freely" She started "And come over here, then I will let her go free". Without hesitation Ranma slowly joined them, in that moment he was willing to endure anything for her, anything to save her, to save the one he loved. 

Ranma stopped several meters from them, awaiting the price for Akane's freedom,   
"Now free her" Ranma told her, his voice was crackled, the thought of Akane unmoving, never to fight again was almost overpowering. With a smile older Akane pulled her arm back over the side rail and placed her on the floor beside her. Akane continued to fight herself for premature freedom, she couldn't stand it, Ranma was willing to do anything she wanted to save her. He really cared, and there was no other explanation… none. 

Below the two Akane's the metal floor creaked and bend ripped down. Losing her balance Akane lost her footing, and slid off the side of the collapsing part of the floor pulling her younger self with her. With a scream they fell to the dusty concrete floor with metal above them. Future Akane still connected to her younger self threw her younger self away. Sealing her fate. 

As Future Akane fell it all became clear. The future cannot be changed, no matter how hard we try to change it; it always ends up the same. Like a river, if we block it, it just meanders back to the same course, never really changing. She had failed, the future would not change. With a crunch she hit into the concrete, the metal from the upper floor crushing onto her. She was gone. 

"Akane!" Ranma yelled in panic jumping from the falling floor. He grabbed her in mid-air catching her from where her kidnapper had thrown her. They landed on the other side of the warehouse just in time to see the upper floor crush onto the ground. Both Ranma and Akane ran to search through the rubble, she had sacrificed herself to save her, Akane had to find her. But within the rubble they found nothing, no body, no trace that she had even been there other than a small broken mirror covered in dust. 

………….. 

The sun was beating down on the school. It had been several days since Akane's kidnapping and she decided it was time for her to return to school and her normal schedule. Ranma walked by her side, both where quieter than usual listening to the rumours the whole school was talking about.   
"You hear" One student whispered "A few days ago someone attacked, Ranma and Akane. Of course" He laughed, "Ranma beat him up but when they searched where he fell, nothing". The second student didn't seem convinced,   
"Come on that's nothing. But did you hear that a student from our year is missing".   
"What, who?" His friend asked,   
"Someone called Makoto, his parents say he never came home four nights ago". Confused his companion asked,   
"There's a Makoto in our year?"   
"Not anymore it appears" His friend answered. 

"I knew him" Came a quite voice "He told me that he was going far away to train in the arts". Both of the students swore blindly they had never seen this kid before,   
"Who are you?" they asked.   
"I'm no one" Returned the voice of Gosunkugi. He walked past the two boys towards the school gates.   
"Where are you going?" They asked him "You realize the bells about to go!" Gosunkugi just continued on,   
"I'm going far away to train in the arts". Inside the school Ranma and Akane were oblivious to these happenings. 'No, the future is not written like a book' Akane thought to herself, 'No we make our own future from day to day, no future is set'. Akane smiled, Ranma took her hand and they walked onto class. She was happy, she was truly happy for the first time in her life. 

…………. 

6 years from that day Ranma was hungry after a good challenge, with hours before dinner he decided to visit the fridge. With a scan of the items he choose what he wanted and lifted it up.   
"Yey, Pork!" Ranma said to himself before closing the fridge behind him. He returned to the training hall for a little more training. It was laughable how easily that Makoto had fought but too much training never hurt anyone. 

The future is a book, but a book we are writing from day to day with our actions and our doings or is it only a script we're reading and we're all actors in Gods great play? 

… 

Butch Cassidy   
butchsvideostoptiscali.co.uk   
23.08.03 (European date system DD.MM.YY) 

… 

A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR 

Well what did you think? Did you like it? Please tell me! With this FanFiction I tried to move Ranma 1/2 from a comedy universe in as close to a grimy real one as I could, that is why you didn't have any of the Ranma ½ trademark gags. Being my first Ranma ½ fan fiction I'm particularly please to know what anyone who reads this thinks. I REALLY wanna hear from you even if it is 3 pages on how crap it is. If you are reading this on FanFiction.net you can get a less badly laid out version at 'www.butchsforum.co.uk' in the StandAlone Fan Fictions section. I hope to hear from you on this and please keep reading in the future.   
Butch Cassidy 

VISIT THE HOME OF MEANDERING PATHS AT www.butchsforum.co.uk 


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